Escalator hand rail



March ZO, 1951 w. F. MASEK ESCALATOR HAND RAIL Filed April 18, 1946 INVENTORI WALTER F. MASEK ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1951 ESCALATOR HAND RAIL Walter F. Masek, Coffeyville, Kans., assignor to Multiscope, Inc., Coifeyville, Kans., a corporation of Kansas 7 Application April 18, 1946, Serial No. 663,223

This invention relates generally to escalators and particularly to a hand rail therefor.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a hand rail for escalators, which may be economically constructed, easily repaired, and is withal adaptable to various shapes, contours, and applications of escalators.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lis a view in side elevation, part being shown in section, of a portion of an escalator'hand rail constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a connector of the form shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 and showing another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Figure 4.

In accordance with the present invention, an escalator hand rail is composed of a plurality of short sections of helically coiled wire assembled end-to-end and ultimately joined to form an endless loop, as shown in my copending application Serial No. 663,222 filed concurrently herewith. The junctions between the successive sections of coiled wire are accomplished by utilizing the interior contour of the coil of wire as a screw thread, and providing an exteriorly threaded member for screw thread engagement with the last turn or two of the section of coiled wire on both sides of the junction. If it is desired to drive the hand rail by an auxiliary means, such as an endless chain, provision may be made for interconnecting the drive chain with one or more of the externally threaded connecting members.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a section I of helically coiled wire, having an endmost turn 2, is connected to the adjacent endmost turn 3 of another section of helically coiled wire 4. The connection is accomplished by a ring 5, whose exterior contour is screw threaded, as shown at 6, for complemental engagement with the interior of the last turn or two of the coiled sections I and 4.

The sections of helically coiled wire I and 4 are duplicates of each other and the duplication is repeated throughout the entire length of an endless loop, which constitutes a continuous hand rail. The various turns of the several sections of 3Glaims. (Cl. 198-16) coiled wire are preferably wound to the same pitch and the wire is preferably of uniform cross section, so as to provide a coil-spring-like memher having closely compacted turns with a relatively smooth exterior and uniform pitch. The etxernal thread formations on ring 5 are of the same pitch and complemental in contour to the interior configurations of the endmost turns of each of sections I and 4 and their duplicates. The ring 5 is provided with an aperture I, through which extends the stem of a saddle member 8. The stem of saddle member 3 within ring 5 may be secured by a suitable nut, or by riveting, and the lower extremity of saddle member 8 is pivotally connected by a pin 9 to each of the side links it of an endless roller chain I I.

At the end of coil section I, opposite endmost turn 2, the connector 5 and saddle member 8 are duplicated to connect the endmost turn l2 of section I with the endmost turn I3 of next succeeding coiled section I4.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2, it will be observed that the end of turn I3 abuts the stem of saddle member 8 on one side and that the end of turn I2 abuts the stem of saddle member 8 on the other side. The adjacent ends of turns I2 and I3, therefore, lie in the same threaded groove of ring 5 and the connection between sections I and I l, as between sections I and 4 and all other comparable sections, is accomplished without discontinuity in the external appearance of the hand rail.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the pins 9 may be extended laterally to ride in channels l5 and IE arranged, respectively, in stationary guide rails ii and I3, thereby confining the orbit of chain II and concomitantly defining the orbit of the hand rail composed of sections I, 4, I4, and their duplicates, throughout the endless loop.

Referring now particularly to Figures 4 and 5 for a modified form of the invention, which is adaptable particularly to conditions in which it is desired to use longer sections of coiled wire, i. e., fewer sections per given length of loop than in the embodiment just described, two sections of coil 2| and 22, having endmost turns 23 and 24, respectively, are threaded upon a ring 25, whose exterior is provided with thread formations 26 corresponding in pitch and configuration to the interior of the endmost turn or two of sections El and 22. In this embodiment, the ring 25 is provided with an integral stem 21 extending radially therefrom and terminating in a head 28, to which is secured, as by welding or riveting, a pair of flanges 29 and 3!], which may, and as shown in Figure 4 do, constitute the outside links of the drive chain 3! at that point. In this form, the connecting pins 32 at each end of flange members 29 and 30 are extended laterally to receive the guide rollers 33, which latter engage a suitable track 34 arranged Within a stationary rail 35. In this embodiment, as in the previous embodimentzfthe =ends:.of the. endmost turns 23 and 25 lie in the same threaded groove :in-rin'g .25 and. approximately abut stem 21, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

In order to permit the use of relativelylong sections of coiled wire Without permittingincre= ments thereof to substantially deviate fromithe;

orbit of the driving and guidingchain the coil sections, such as 2!, may be joined to the driving chain intermediate the ends. ofthe sections,

as shown at the right side of Figure 4. At this point, a hole 42 is drilled through contiguous; turns 43 and 44 of coil section 2|, part of the holeu42 :being in.-one-.- turn andwpart thereof in another.- Adjacenttheehole. 42,. the drive chain SL/isLagain'HprQVidedwith flanged members -29 This typeofconnectionmay. be-repeated asv often asnecessary betweenthe ends of any given coil section, .suchas 2L, it. being. understood that the typeof connection .shown. at. 42. is primarily. intendedetolmaintain theorbitof thespring section 2 tin ,confo'rmityyvith the. orbitof the. drive chain many modifications and variations will present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and consequently it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand=rail*for an-escalator-comprising a plurality of short sections of helically coiled wire, rings having external threads of the same pitch as.and..complemental contour to the terminal turns of said sections, said rings having a stem projectingradially outward to interrupt said ex- =.terna1- threads-:subs'tantially centrally thereof,

said sections-being screwed upon said rings until anendof the former is adjacent the radial stem of the latter, and driving means connected to the stemrrofsaid rings.

2. A hand rail for an escalator comprising an endless-loop of elongatablematerial constituting the exposed'grip .membenan endless loop:of.sub-- I stantially unelongatablematerial constituting the drive member, said grip member being peripherally longerthansaid drive member, .andconnectionsat intervals--alongthe length-of-said grip member and said drive membensaidconnectionsmaintaining gsaidemembers in the same. spaced relation-rand .in. vertical=alignment with each:.

; 1 other throughout the .orbits.-of:said-members.

3I,while such.pullasisexerted upon theendless loop of hand rail,.consisting of theseries of coiled spring sections, is transmitted:throughconnectingrings like 25...

Fromthe vforegoing description, those-skilled I inthe-v art. willundeistand that the .present inventionaccomplishes. its objects and provides an escalator hand rail which is.easyand economical tofabricate, adaptable to avariety' of uses, .and whichle'nds itself to repair by replacement of sections-without requiringa replacement of the entire hand rail, should arupture occur.- With thev threaded interconnection oi the respective While two forms of .the invention have been disclosed in detailfit "is readily apparent that 3. A hand rail for an escalatorH-comprising a plurality of short. sectionsofhelically coiled wire,

connectors. joining 'saidsections in. end-to-end relationitoform ;a loop, :some. .of. said .connectors peach having a stem projecting therefrombeyond theperiphery .0f..-said sections, and an endless driving chain arranged Within the inner -periphery of. said.loop, saidstems .being connected respectively with spaced. linksof -the chain,..and maintaining. said .loop .and 'said chain in vertical alignment.

WALTERFJ MASEKQ REFERENCES" CITED The-following -references are of recordin the file of thisnpatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 785,882; Hocquart Mar. 28, 1905 889,080" Wheeler May. 26, 1908.. 899,933" Wheeler; Sept. 29, 1908 973,079' Se'ebergen: Oct. 18, 1910 1,371,513 Nickerson Mar."15, 1921 1,378,507 Wiegand' May .17, 1921 

